Circular loop around the Corbeville staircases

Starting point and access: Guichet station.
RER – Line B, on the section between Paris and Saint-Rémy-lès-Chevreuse. Get off at the rear of the train when arriving from Paris to Saint-Rémy (at the front if arriving in the opposite direction).

(S/E) Whichever direction you’re travelling in on the train, climb the stairs to leave the platform. At the top,
- If you’ve arrived in the direction of Paris at Saint-Rémy, turn left and cross the bridge over the railway line.
- If you’ve arrived from the opposite direction, turn right and you’ll soon reach a junction with the bridge on your right. Continue along Rue du Pont de Pierre (straight ahead in the first case, left in the second).

(1) At the junction, cross Rue Aristide Briand at the pedestrian crossing and start climbing the first long flight of steps. The gradient gets steeper as you climb. At the top, cross Rue de Châteaufort and take the second long flight of steps, signposted ‘Passage du Buisson’. The gradient gets even steeper.

(2) At the top, go straight on into Rue de la Vauve. Cross Rue de la Martinière and continue straight on. At the end of the street, first turn left then right onto a concrete path that leads into a woodland. Take a footbridge offering a view of the old La Troche sandstone quarry on the left-hand side. Then climb a final, relatively short flight of steps.

(3) At the top, turn left onto a tarmac path, immediately ignore a wooden walkway on the right and continue for about fifty metres. Then turn left onto a path not shown on the map. Walk along the edge of the old sandstone quarry on your left. Carry on straight ahead until you reach a crossroads (with a tarmac road a short distance away on the left).

(4) Turn right here and you’ll soon reach a T-junction. Turn left and walk alongside a wire fence on your right. At a crossroads (with a metal gate on the right), carry straight on for about thirty metres.

(5) Take the first path on the left. Descend gently at first, then more steeply. The dirt track gives way to a concrete path, still going downhill. You’ll then rejoin the tarmac road. You’ll come out onto Rue Aristide Briand and follow it to the left until you reach the junction you took at the start of the circular route.

(1) Two options here:
- Complete the circular loop again, in either direction.
- Turn right to quickly return to Guichet station (E).

To get back home:
Take the RER, line B, towards Paris (turn right before the bridge) or Saint-Rémy-lès-Chevreuse (cross the bridge then turn right).

Train timetables: see the Transilien website.

A good pair of trainers is sufficient for this short route, despite the steep slopes.

To train for summer mountain hikes, this circular route can be completed as many times as you wish (or are able to): for example, six times to reach around 500 m of elevation gain, or 13 times to exceed 1,000 m.

The circular route is designed to include both steep flights of stairs on the ascent to focus on a ‘cardio’ workout. It can, of course, be done in the opposite direction, with the descent down the stairs providing a good workout for the joints.

A detailed map is useful, or you can follow the route using the Visorando app.

This walk has been completed numerous times by the author, in one direction or the other, between May 2022 and July 2026.

Former sandstone quarry at La Troche, between (4) and (5).